exchemist
Veteran Member
New data, just made public in the UK, shows a dramatic drop - over 80% - in hospitalisations and deaths among the over 80s. These were the first group to have all been given a first dose of either Pfizer or Oxford/AstraZeneca , a process that was completed just over a month ago: Covid vaccines cut risk of serious illness by 80% in over-80s
There seems little doubt that even one dose has a dramatic protective effect. This vindicates the decision of the UK authorities to give out single doses first, and to give the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to all, even the very old who were not well represented in the original trial data. The UK has now vaccinated (single dose) 20 million people, a third of the population - and steaming ahead.
What we are waiting to see next is whether, as the vaccination programme spreads out into the more socially active, and less well shielded, younger segments of the population, the vaccines also reduce the number of +ve test results. That would be evidence that they not only reduce serious disease but also reduce the rate of spread of mild or asymptomatic infections too. That's a much harder thing to prove, but we should quite soon begin to see effects.
But this is very encouraging so far.
P.S. Take-up rate in the UK is well above expectations too. The Brits love - and trust - their National Health Service.
There seems little doubt that even one dose has a dramatic protective effect. This vindicates the decision of the UK authorities to give out single doses first, and to give the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to all, even the very old who were not well represented in the original trial data. The UK has now vaccinated (single dose) 20 million people, a third of the population - and steaming ahead.
What we are waiting to see next is whether, as the vaccination programme spreads out into the more socially active, and less well shielded, younger segments of the population, the vaccines also reduce the number of +ve test results. That would be evidence that they not only reduce serious disease but also reduce the rate of spread of mild or asymptomatic infections too. That's a much harder thing to prove, but we should quite soon begin to see effects.
But this is very encouraging so far.
P.S. Take-up rate in the UK is well above expectations too. The Brits love - and trust - their National Health Service.